SYDNEY: Australia’s government said on Sunday (Dec 15) that five members of the “Bali Nine” drug ring have returned from Indonesia, after diplomatic efforts between the countries this month to strike a repatriation deal.
“The Australian Government can confirm that Australian citizens, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj have returned to Australia,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.
The men were among nine people arrested in 2005 trying to smuggle more than 8kg of heroin out of the Indonesian resort island of Bali.
“These Australians served more than 19 years in prison in Indonesia. It was time for them to come home,” Albanese said.
Two of the ringleaders of the Bali Nine group, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed in 2015, prompting Australia to recall its ambassador in protest.
The only woman in the group was released from prison in 2018, and a male member died of cancer the same year.
“We would like to convey our deep appreciation to the government of Indonesia for its cooperation to facilitate the men’s return to Australia on humanitarian grounds,” Albanese said.
It said the men’s return reflected “the strong bilateral relationship and mutual respect between Indonesia and Australia”.
“The men will have the opportunity to continue their personal rehabilitation and reintegration in Australia.”
Indonesia’s government said in a statement that the five prisoners were transferred from Bali on Sunday morning and had landed in the Australian city of Darwin.
Indonesia’s Senior Minister for Legal Affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra this month met Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke in Jakarta and handed over a draft proposal for the return of the five prisoners.
The terms of the draft included the five being banned from returning to Indonesia, regulations on the legal basis for the transfer and a requirement that Australia respect the decision of the Indonesian court, Yusril said.
Yusril said at the time that Indonesia would respect any decision taken by Australia when the prisoners returned home, including if the group was granted a pardon. He said the repatriation would not involve an exchange of prisoners.